Constrained Optimization

OptiLayer has a variety of options for constrained optimization. These options are aimed to meet various feasibility demands and to provide better manufacturing properties of coating designs.

For example, it is possible to specify boundary of layer thicknesses.

It is possible to set constraints for individual layer thicknesses. Each layer can have:·

Active (A),

Fixed (F) or

Optical Fixed (O)

state, which indicates whether the thickness of this layer can vary during optimization. If the state is Optical Fixed, the physical thickness and refractive index vary but only so that their product, i.e., optical thickness, remains constant.

Example 1. Optimization a solar cell structure

Optimization of a solar cell structure using Constrained optimization option of OptiLayer. Initial design: 5-layers solar cell. Note that upper SnO2 layer is adjacent to the BK7 glass and light incidence from the BK7 glass is considered.

Only thicknesses of two layers (internal amorphous silicon layer and top SnO2 conducting layer) are allowed to vary in the specified limits: from 150 to 600 nm and from 10 to 100 nm, respectively.